Uncertainty
by Harbinger of Anime Babes
Summary: Nina and Ren have lived on Castanet for about a year. Ren is a player with a soft spot for Candace. Nina has given up on love, or has she? Without a boyfriend herself, Nina is being forced to find love for others. Will their lives ever cease being hectic?
1. A Request

Having lived for about a year now on the island nation of Castanet, Nina wasn't typically a bitter person. It was only when she was challenged by a woman to the man she was courting, as she liked to call it, that she would start muckraking. Her brother, Ren, wasn't too much different. If he was chasing a girl, she was the only one in his eyes, and he sure as hell wasn't about to let some cheeky guy step in and stop him.

Nina had dated around, just a little bit, going from Owen (stolen by Kathy) to Luke (now crushing on Selena) to even Doctor Jin, but decided to settle back and be single for a while. She was pretty happy with her friends, and wanted to focus on those relationships before moving to a serious one. It was a well-known fact that a few boys in town were crushing on her, what with her cute outfits and sassy yet shy attitude. She was known for wearing fancy Victorian dresses and beanies, and spring-like outfits with kitty or bunny ears.

Nina's closest friend was Anissa, the farmer girl over in the Fields. In secrecy they giggled about Doctor Jin and how cute his ponytail and glasses were. Truth be told, Nina only dated him to make sure he was a good boyfriend for Anissa. And she was sure he would be. Showing up at her house daily to make certain of his girl's well-being, he was crushed when she told him she didn't feel so strongly for him. Little did Nina and Anissa know, however, Jin had basically given up on love because of her. He felt as though no woman would ever love him because of his so-called ignorance. Completely ignorant of Anissa's feelings towards him, he scoffed at her attempts at romance.

So she and Nina though of a plan. They were to gather up his favorite things, and give him one each day, anonymously. Then, when he's finally all giddy from the gift-giving, Anissa will reveal herself to him and he will bask in her affection and they can get married and be all happy, right? Nothing could possibly go wrong.

Today, Nina was wearing her cowgirl uniform. She rushed down to Harmonica Town, setting a Remedy on Choral Clinic's doorstep, with the tag saying "For Jin." She started to turn around to run to Anissa's house when she bumped into her ex-boyfriend, Luke. "Whatcha doin?" he cooed, teasing her.

"I, uh…" she began, trailing off.

"Is that a love gift?" He leaned down, examining it. "Ooh! It is! It is _so_ a love gift! For…Jin? Why him? You already dumped that nerd-o. If you want a real man…" he started, carelessly dropping the gift back on the doorstep and standing up straight, "Come back to me! I won't mind having you on the side until Selena comes around!" He laughed enthusiastically, as if Nina really wanted him back.

"For the last time, _Lucas_, no. And this isn't from me, but I can't tell you who it's really from." She sighed. He was so persistent.

He got all wide-eyed and gaped at her. "It's from Selena isn't it? That's why you won't tell me! I'm gonna wait here until Jin comes out and tell him straight up that Selena and Selena only is mine forever!"

_So much for wanting me on the side. _"No, Luke, it's not from Selena. You have to just let him find this on his own. It's, it's…" _Goodness. I'm gonna have to tell him. _"It's…from Anissa. She has a burning passion for Doctor Jin… but you cannot tell ANYONE. Not even Selena."

He laughed again. He has a weird way of doing that. "How cute! I won't tell anyone…As long as you help me get with Selena!" Nina nodded, helplessly turning into Miss Cupid. Without another word, Luke ran off laughing and jumping in the air like a maniac. His bandana flew off his head and landed in her arms. He didn't appear to notice… _I'll just give this to Selena…As long as she doesn't hate me anymore_.

Sidetracked from her original quest to hit Anissa's place before anything else, Nina was forced to go to Brass Bar. Sure, it was _way_ before open time, but Hayden liked her, and typically let her in. She knocked three times before stepping in, calling out "It's me!" The bar was empty, like it should be, but she knew that they were in the back. Sure enough, Hayden called back "Okay, Nina! You know where everything is, darlin'!" He was such a kind man, like a father to Nina and her brother. She warily made her way to the back room, which was Kathy's, that held a ladder that went up to Selena's room. She knocked, and there was no answer for a few moments. As she waited in silence, she decided to just go on in.

She now realized why there was no answer. Kathy was asleep in Owen's arms, both presumably naked under the covers. It was a sight she surely could not un-see. Covering her eyes, she climbed up the ladder and opened the trapdoor to enter Selena's room. She was greeted with utter rudeness: "Ew, what are you doing here? You didn't even knock."

"How am I supposed to knock on a ceiling door?" She asked, trying not to sound too sarcastic. "Anyway, I have a present for you." She tossed the red-haired drama queen Luke's bandana. "Give this to your boy toy."

Selena's dark skin flushed a light pink. Her tone turned a little sweeter. "L-Luke?" She smiled, embracing the headwear to her chest and closing her eyes. Nina had never seen her act this way. Realizing that Nina was still standing in her room, she snapped back, tossing it on her bed. "W-Why would I want this? What if he has dandruff or lice or something? He _is_ an outdoorsman."

"Look," Nina said, smirking, "Luke ran off rattling on about your beauty and this fell off his head. I figured it'd be a good conversation starter." She was trying to be as kind as she could, attempting to help Luke out so her job would be done a lot sooner than she assumed.

"He thinks I'm beautiful," she said quickly, so quietly that Nina was certain it was only meant to go to herself. "I-I mean…Of course he does. Look at how I dress." She gestured to the skimpy outfit she was wearing, tube top and short skirt.

Nina smiled warmly. "You don't have to dress that way, Selena. He likes you for you. I'm pretty sure you could wear a parka and he'd still want you."

Realizing her own blindness, Selena picked his bandana back up and held it to her chest again. "Thank you, Nina. I'm sorry that we couldn't get along before. I-I was just worried that Luke would want you again." She smirked, another idea obviously stuck in her head. "I'll be sure to invite you to the wedding."

Nina rubbed the back of her head, a sickness turning in her stomach. "Uh, so, do you think I could stay here for a few hours? Kathy is…" she trailed off, unsure how to finish that sentence.

Selena chuckled. She and Luke and their laughing thing. "Yeah. I know. I'm the one that had to listen to it all night…She's really noisy."

"…And there are some things you can't un-hear."

So Nina stayed in Selena's room for a few hours, and the two shared some laughs over Luke's bandana that they had in their possession. No, it didn't have lice or dandruff, but it smelled like strawberry shampoo.


	2. Taking Chances

Ren woke up with the urge to call Luna. He knew she had the biggest crush on him, she knew that he knew, and he liked taking advantage of it. He also knew that her blue-haired sister, Candace, had a thing for Julius. He really had a hankering for Candace, but she showed no interest in him. So he decided to settle for second best, cute little Luna. She was sexy in her own way, with a young girl atmosphere. He knew she was eighteen, but he was fairly certain that she was _just _eighteen.

He slipped into his white shirt and red tie, black pants and checkered shoes. All the girls loved that outfit. _Except Candace…_ He shook her from his mind. He could make himself like Luna, and he'd forget all about her sister. He looked for his sister, Nina, but noticed she already left. The wall clock said eleven, and Nina usually got up about six. This was the point when he realized he didn't have Luna's number. _Shit. I don't want to walk all the way to Flute Tailor._ His laziness always got the best of him. It was an unbelievable irony, because he _did_ live on a farm. The only work he ever did was take care of the animals; he had a soft spot for them.

He grabbed a handful of strawberries and headed for the barn to take care of their four cows and one goat. He knew all their names—in fact, _he_ was the one who named them—and in order he brushed them with care: "Betty," he cooed, "Nessie, Darla, Candi…" he loved his animals, especially because they were female. "And Felicity, of course." Felicity was the baby goat; she baaed at him when he patted her head.

Once his work with all his animals was taken care of, Ren tromped off to Flute Fields, the complete opposite direction from Flute Tailor. He never quite understood why they had named two completely different things in two totally separate areas 'Flute.' He had just used the last of his fodder for his animals, and needed to pick up some more.

By the time he got there he was barely breaking a sweat. Ignoring all around him, he opened the door to the Horn Ranch, and slammed it right behind him. "Cain, you got fodder in?" Cain was the man who drove Ren and Nina into town, the first person from this island he had known.

Cain had a worried look on his face, and looked at Ren with annoyance. "You did it again, dammit." He pushed past the brown-haired boy, and opened the door. A surprised girl with short, light brown hair that gleamed in the sunshine sat back on the deck, tears welled up in her eyes and her hand covering her nose. Ren cocked his head in question, had he slammed the door in her face? Again?

He held his hand down for her (as he had done many times before) and helped her up. "Sorry, Renee," he mumbled. He really just wanted to get his fodder so he could get out of here.

"I-It's okay, Ren. Um, I can take care of you if you want. T-that is! I can get your fodder for you…" It was a well-known fact that Renee had crushed on Ren for a long time, like Luna, but he didn't even want to try to get with her. Maybe it was the fact that she acted so innocent, or maybe it was that their names were too similar.

He scoffed a simple "Sure, whatever." Her eyes softened, and Ren could obviously tell that she was hurt. It's not like he cared, though. Renee acted like this every week.

As he made his way out the door, fodder in hand, Renee called out to him. "Ren! Do you think that we could, um, go out for lunch today?" she asked, a slight twinge of hope in her voice. He looked up, sighed, and then turned around. _Maybe if we go out, I can start getting discounts on my fodder…_

Secretly uninterested in her, he managed to squeeze out a half-convincing "Sure." Her blank face lit up, and she waved goodbye. "Meet ya at the Ocarina Inn at one," he called unenthusiastically. "I guess," he mumbled to himself. _What if __**Candace**__ sees us?_ His spirits lowered, although he had already made his decision and Renee was already inside. _If Cain saw me reject her, I'd never hear the end of it._ He couldn't tell her no, now; he had to go on this date.

He checked the clock; it was now eleven-thirty. _An hour and a half til my "date," _he thought. _What to do…_ In the end, Ren decided to hit the beach. To his surprise, Candace was there, sitting on a rock, head in hands. Her blue pigtails fell at her sides and swayed sadly in the wind. Ren sat down next to her, on the sand. "You okay?"

Startled, she looked at him, tears in her eyes. She looked as though she were about to speak, but tears streamed down her face instead and she turned back to face the ocean.

The salty wind caressed his face, and he murmured back to Candace: "It's okay, you don't have to say anything. I'll just keep you company."

They sat in silence for an undetermined amount of time before she opened her lips once more. "Julius…Broke up with me." The words drifted slowly out of her mouth, as if she was finally coming to terms with the situation.

Ren finally understood why she hadn't noted his advances, but why was her relationship with Julius such a secret? No one in town knew about it. He supposed that his face was obviously confused, because Candace continued with "We kept our relationship secret, because I thought I was…pregnant."

Ren stared at the ocean with a blank face, unsure how he was supposed to encumber this information.

But Candace continued on. "When I found out that…I wasn't…" She kept pausing, her voice beginning to choke up. "…Pregnant…" Her hands were shaking, and Ren couldn't help but to reach out and squeeze her hand, as if to keep her from exploding. "He left me. He said he had no other reason to stay with me." The tears began streaming down her face once more as she pushed down off the rock and buried her face into Ren's chest. He rubbed the top of her head, trying his best to give comfort.

As Candace looked up into his eyes, searching his face for an answer, a look of horror came upon her face as Ren was smacked in the back of the head with a full bag of fodder.


	3. New Flame?

It had been two entire hours since Nina had entered Selena's room, and Kathy and Owen were finally leaving. Selena was right; anyone upstairs could hear EVERYTHING downstairs. The poor friends had to listen to Kathy get an interesting wake-up; they waited until they heard Owen try and tip-toe out of the room. "Not very quiet, he's a heavy guy believe it or not," Selena chuckled.

"Trust me—I know," she giggled, remembering their relationship. A particular dreary memory popped in her head:

_Nina's alarm clock was set to go off at six A.M., but she slept through it. Her soft sleep was interrupted by a knock on the door. _Who could it be this early in the morning? _she thought, forgetting about her date with her boyfriend of two months, Owen. She opened the door in her pajamas, rubbing her eyes. When opened, she saw Owen standing there, a blank look on his face. "Owen!" she shouted, giving him a tackle hug. When he failed to reciprocate, she pulled away, searching his face for answers._

_The words that were about to roll out of his mouth were the ones that were going to devastate Nina for days after days. "I…" he began, his eyes softening. Nina took a step back, unsure of what was coming. "I'm leaving you for Kathy," he said quickly. The words came out like one big jumble, as if he had said a bunch of random syllables. Nina's face went through many emotions, from confusion to depression. Tears streamed down her face as she shoved her hands against Owen's chest, pushing him out of her house. _

"_GET OUT!" she screamed, slamming the door in his face. With the door behind her, she slid down against it, laying her head on her knees. _

_For the next three weeks, Nina didn't leave her farm. She focused heavily on her crops and her animals, refusing to allow her brother Ren to help at all. She needed a huge distraction; she needed to keep her mind off Owen._

She was snapped back to the present by Selena, making the statement of: "You okay, hon?" Apparently Nina had zoned out while remembering her most tragic heartbreak. Owen was the reason Nina wasn't looking for any relationships anymore. "I think I'm ready to go, now," she said in a daze.

Selena smiled at her newfound friend as Nina climbed down the stairs. Looking left and right, she noted that Kathy and Owen were obviously cleared from the room, and pointedly didn't make the bed when they got up. She sighed, slipping her way out of the bar without being notice. Kathy must've been in the bathroom or something like that.

She then remembered the reason she had come to Harmonica Town. _I wonder if Jin has picked up the gift yet?_ She slipped around the corner, looking up to Choral Clinic; sure enough, it was gone.

She figured Anissa had already begun her work, and decided to head for the beach and fish for a while. She passed Flute Tailor along the way, and noticed a very worried Luna inside. If they were closer friends, she might have asked her what was wrong.

As she reached the beach, she noticed a man with white hair sitting on the sand with his fishing pole cast out into the sea. It wasn't the kind of white that old people have, but rather the kind that was obviously sun-bleached by a person that spends all day outside every day. She imagined seeing him in the winter, unable to pick him out from the snow. She hadn't ever been so taken aback by such a beautiful color. Suddenly, he stood up and leaned back, reeling in something fierce. He tugged as hard as he could, it seemed, until Nina could see the fish flopping on top of the water. Much to Nina's surprise, he managed to catch it in his arms as it flew out of the water. He didn't flinch; all he did was wipe the sweat off his forehead and start walking towards the fishery.

_He left his fishing pole there…_ She noted, finding an excuse to talk to this handsome, strong guy. She totally forgot about all of her morals against romance; she was infatuated with this stranger. She picked it up and quickly followed behind him. He shut the door behind him, not noticing Nina a few steps back. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and saw the man and Ozzie (the owner of the shop) laying the fish on the counter. They stopped what they were doing to take a quick glance at Nina. Ozzie gave a quick wave and continued doing what he was doing previously.

The white-haired beauty, however, just stared at her, as she did to him. She tugged at her hat, feeling a strong attraction to him. His eyes were squinted tightly. She figured since he spent so much time outside, he probably had to spend a lot of time facing the sun. It was kinda cute, actually. He moved towards her, a soft smile brightening his face. Ozzie ignored the two, whistling as he skinned the fish.

Nina's cheeks turned a light pink as he bowed slightly, and she returned it as well. He opened his lips slightly to speak, but she interrupted him quickly. "I'm Nina," she said before she forgot her own name. He scratched the back of his head; it seemed as though he'd heard that name before.

"I know who you are; you've lived here for about a year." He looked surprised for a moment, and then said, "No, wait. I don't mean it like that…" Nina swooned mentally; his smooth voice was so handsome. "I mean, I've heard about you. I can't believe we haven't met before." He noticed the fishing pole in her hand, and she handed it to him.

"You forgot this."

"Oh, I left it there so I could go fishing again later."

"I, uh," she began, feeling silly that she had practically admitted she was watching him. "I just didn't want it to get broken or stolen." She smiled at him, trying to be cute. She hoped he would give her his name.

As though he had just read her mind (or rather her questioning face), he said to her, "My name is Toby. Ozzie is my uncle, and Paolo is my cousin. We're all fishermen."

"I enjoy fishing," she said, giggling at already finding something in common. "Especially on the days it rains. My crops are already watered, and Ren takes care of the animals, so if I didn't fish I wouldn't have anything to do."

"Maybe…" he began, his face reciprocating Nina's. "We could go fishing on the next rainy day."

She resisted squealing in a high-pitched voice. _Our first date…_ Her heart grinned as she replied with an "I'd love to."

They said their goodbyes, and she decided she'd save her next fishing trip for Toby. As she headed outside, a familiar voice called her name. "Nina! Come quick! You'll never guess what just happened!"

It was Anissa, running towards her from the entrance to Harmonica Town. Nina charged towards her, noting that Anissa's voice was filled with worry. "What's wrong, Nissa?"

"Doctor Jin called me. He said you weren't home…" Her eyes were filled with terror. "Nina, Ren is really hurt!" Nina gaped, Ren was not the type to ever get sick or injured.

"What…What happened to my brother?" She asked looking left and right for any sort of an answer.

"He's had a concussion! Candace took him there… We have to hurry!"

_Candace…? What was he doing with Candace?_ She asked herself. She knew that no matter how hard Ren tried, Candace would never date him. _Were they…on a date?_ Nevertheless, the two ran to Choral Clinic and slammed the door open. Candace saw them and stood up quickly. "We were on the beach and…" _So they WERE on a date…_ "…Renee came up from behind and hit him with a full bag of fodder!"

Nina's jaw dropped. "Renee? You can't be serious." Renee always seemed so sweet and quiet…

"I know, I was surprised too; but sometimes the quiet ones are the crazy ones." _She did always take a fancy to Ren. Perhaps she saw Ren and Candace and was overwhelmed with jealousy. But why did she have a bag of fodder…?_

"Where is she now?"

"She disappeared. At first, she backed away, saying, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry," but then she ran away. I didn't have time to worry about her; I had to bring Ren in. So I picked him up and scurried up here." Her expression softened, as though she were going to cry. "He's unconscious. I don't want him to die."

"Now, now," Jin piped in, trying to bring some light into this situation. "With a simple hit from a bag of fodder that weighed…" he tapped his chin, thinking. "Roughly fifteen pounds…By such a frail, small girl like Renee…" He ran his fingers through his unbound hair that was usually tied back into a ponytail. "He should awaken in about an hour."

Candace still looked worried, and she sat back down next to him. "We'll all stay here and wait," Anissa said to Nina and Candace.

_Just to think, all this time my big brother was being mauled by a crazy girl and I was flirting with Toby…_ She felt a little bad, as though she could have protected him.

Ren's facial expression kept changing, and they couldn't help but wonder what he was dreaming about in the unconscious.


	4. The Dreamer

**Candace**

Candace imagined what was happening in Ren's dreams. She never told him, but even while she was with Julius, she had a secret crush on him. She had been afraid to say anything because of her situation, and she thought he had a thing for Luna. Candace's own eyes fluttered shut at the thought of what Ren could be possibly dreaming of.

_A dim light fills the Flute Tailor as Candace cleans up before closing. Shelly and Luna had already gone to bed, but Candace had slacked her duties and was being forced to stay up late. It was around 21:00. All lights were out in town except for the Brass Bar_. The bar…_ she thought, suddenly craving a drink. As she finished sweeping, she slipped out of the shop, locking the door behind her. _

_As she entered the bar, a drunken hello was called out by Selena, Hayden, Owen, Calvin, and Kathy. "What can I get for ya?" asked Hayden. _

"_Oh…" she began, not sure what they sold. "I don't know. What's on the menu?"_

_The gang gaped, and Selena stopped dancing. "Haven't you been to the bar afore?" Owen asked loudly. _

"_No…This is my first time."_

"_Here, darlin', began Hayden, sliding a hot pink drink to her side of the bar. "Try a strawberry cocktail…It's on the house!"_

_She sipped at it, nodding her head as though she'd say thank you. Suddenly, the door slammed open. "Hey party people!" called a familiar voice. She smiled at the sight of Ren, who grinned as his eyes fell upon her face. He dashed over to her, took a gulp of her cocktail, and pulled her into a tango position so they could dance to no music. _

"_I'll play a tune for the happy couple," cooed Calvin, who grabbed his guitar._

"_Happy COUPLES, you mean," giggled Kathy, grabbing Owen's hands and twirling around with him. Everyone was having a great time; no worry existed anywhere. No one could harm their happiness. Ren dipped Candace down and kissed her softly, and then pulled her back up and twirled her._

Candace was lost in her own dreams; she had no desire of being snapped back unless Ren was okay.

**Anissa**

She gazed at Doctor Jin, who was oblivious to her presence as he read his book. She sighed. Jin looked up, lowered his glasses, so she quickly stared at Ren. His soft brown hair fell ever so slightly against the pillow, and she knew that Jin would take amazing care of him. The gift she and Nina planned to give to Jin was set right next to him on the side table. She closed her eyes, beginning to dream what she felt Ren was dreaming. _Maybe he's dreaming about getting Jin and I together…_ She pondered, imagining his subconscious to see it as so.

_Ren's eyes open as Jin stares down at him, patting his head with a washcloth. "Thank you, Doctor," Ren whispers. _

"_Don't worry about it, it's my job," Jin says humbly. Ren sits up and notices Anissa sitting there. He pokes Jin._

"_She's cute, and Nina says she likes you." He says it quietly so only Jin can hear. Anissa notices the two whispering back and forth, and her cheeks flush._

"_You think so?" asks Jin, glancing over at Anissa. Her already pink face gets a little darker as he takes a step forward._

"_Go for it!" Ren shouts dramatically._

_Jin reaches out for Anissa's hand, leans down, and kisses it softly. "Oh, Jin…" she murmurs. _

_He pulled her up into an embrace as Ren gives him a thumbs up. "Let us go off into the sunset and enjoy our lives together, Anissa!" _

Anissa sighed. _As if that would ever happen…_ She knew she was being over-dramatic. There was no point in even hoping that he would show interest in her. She glanced over at Jin again, who seemed to be day-dreaming as well.

**Jin**

Jin licked the tip of his finger and flipped the last page in his book. He shut the cover, holding it to his chest. _Yet another good book…_ He didn't have any others around, so he looked around the room. Candace had dozed off, Nina was staring off into space, and Anissa was…_Staring at me?_ She quickly looked at Ren, however; as did Jin. He noticed the gift next to him, and remembered finding it lying upon his doorstep when he got to work. He began to wonder what goes on in the subconscious when one is passed out._ Does he know who put it on my doorstep?_

_Ren wanders around town and sees a figure leaning down to place something on the steps of Choral Clinic. The person is dark and shadowy, and he can't make out who it is. He runs up to them, turning them around to see that he can't recognize their face, either. "Who are you?" he asks. "Why are you placing this on Jin's doorstep?"_

_The figure's face twisted into an evil smile. "To mess with Jin. I want to trick him into thinking he has a secret admirer. I'm going to frame…" The name that drizzled out of their disguised voice didn't make sense to Ren. "…for it." _

"_I…Don't understand. Anything."_

"_You're not supposed to. Just forget that you ever saw me, and we won't have a problem."_

_That's it! _Jin thought, having a supposed realization.

_As Ren squinted his eyes to see the figure more clearly, he noticed they had chin-length light brown hair, and soft brown eyes. "R-Renee?" he was in a daze of confusion. _

"_You now know my identity," she growled, clutching the bag of fodder that he now noticed she held in her hand. "I must…__**hurt**__…you now…" She lifted the bag of fodder, ready to smack him._

_Ren, however, dodged her blow, and ran towards the beach. Racing past Flute Tailor, Candace noticed him and ran out, trying to stop Renee. "I'll save you!" she shouted enthusiastically. She grabbed Renee around the waist, pulling her backwards. Renee elbowed Candace in the ribs, and Ren flipped around in the sand._

"_Candace, no! She's crazy!" But it was too late. Candace was pushed onto the concrete, and Ren couldn't escape to the ocean. Next thing he knew, Candace had picked him up and was running to the Choral Clinic. "Thank…you…" were his last words before drifting off._

_It all makes sense now,_ he thought, feeling as though he had the answer. _I'll just have to confirm it with him when he wakes up._

**Nina**

Nina stroked her brother's hair, hoping to soothe him in his dreams. She wished that nothing he was seeing internally was too hectic; she wanted him to be at peace for this long hour.

_Ren sits on a beach with Candace, watching the sunset. Candace sighs, laying her head on his shoulder. She cuddles up close to him, and they fall asleep as the sky goes dark._

She sighed. "I hope he wakes up soon," she said, breaking the silence.

**Ren**

"_I hope he wakes up soon," calls the voice of Ren's sister. He doesn't see her, but he knows that it's her. _

But I'm not asleep,_ he thinks, stretching his arms out. He sits on a lone island, searching for a way off. "How did I get here?" he asks aloud. "Where am I?" He knows that it's not Castanet, and it's not Toucan Island. There is but a single palm tree. Much to his surprise, the palm doesn't hold coconuts or bananas, but peaches. One falls and whams his head. He catches it, and takes a bite out of its furry exterior. He turns it so that the sweet part is facing him, and takes in its deliciously juicy goodness. _

_As he gazes at the peach, it morphs into a face. "Candace?" _

_She smiles up at him, asking him to wake up. "Please, Ren. I know you can make it through this."_

"_Make it through what?" he asks, unsure what she's trying to tell him. "I'm not sleeping!"_

_Her bright smile fades back into a peach. He takes another chunk out. He is overwhelmed by its warmth and sweetness, much more delicious than earlier. "Why am I alone?"_

_He keeps eating the peach, trying to kill the lonely. He's left with not something beautiful, but a dark, ugly pit. "I am the truth," it seems to say to him. _

"_I don't know what you're talking about."_

"_You do. You know what happened, and you know that you're not okay. You need to wake up."_

"_I am!" he cried out. "I am awake!" _

"_No, you're not."_

_Tears began to fall from his chin, hitting the pit. "I…I'm not. I'm not awake."_

Ren sat up in the bed at the Choral Clinic.


	5. Sleepover

"Ren!" shouted Candace. Her surprised voice penetrated the room, alerting everyone back to reality.

Ren looked around, seeing Candace, Anissa, Nina, and Jin. "What I am I doing in the clinic?"

"You…" Candace looked at Nina, who looked at Anissa, who looked at Jin.

"Should we tell him, Doctor?" Anissa whispered quietly.

"There's no reason not to. He needs to know to be on the lookout for her," Jin replied, running his fingers through his lengthy hair. Anissa blushed. It was obvious to Nina that _she _wanted to run _her_ fingers through his hair.

"Who should tell him?" asked Nina, looking at Anissa.

She was spacing out, however, probably thinking about Jin. Nina snapped her fingers in front of her face and she said "Oh, what?"

Nina repeated herself.

"Tell who what?"

Nina had enough. Anissa needed to pay attention to the present situation—her best friend's brother was hurt.

"Tell Ren that psycho Renee whammed him with a heavy bag of fodder!" Nina covered her mouth, realizing that she spilled the beans.

"I already knew that," he stated in a matter-of-fact manner.

"Oh. We kinda figured you'd forget."

"Ren, do you know why she did it?" Candace wanted to solve whatever was wrong. She didn't want to cause him any pain, if it was her fault.

"Well, I don't know for sure, but I have a guess. I went to buy fodder for my animals. I accidentally slammed the door in her face, hurting her nose. She said it was okay and asked me on a lunch date. I figure I might as well since I just hurt her. So when I found you," he nodded at Candace. "On the beach, I suppose I lost track of time and missed our date. She must have seen me and exacted revenge for standing her up."

"So the fodder was probably a gift for you," Jin added.

"Most likely. I go there every week to pick up fodder." He smiled at Candace. "I'm…kinda glad I didn't go on the date. It might not have been so much fun…"

"I hear she's not so much fun to hang out with. That's why she's so quiet." Nina was trying to make her own resolutions. The quiet ones were usually crazy, right? "Can Ren go home tonight?" She wasn't about to sleep at home by herself, Renee might come by and hurt her.

"I'm afraid not," Jin replied, adjusting his glasses. "I need to keep him here tonight to make sure no serious damage has been done."

* * *

><p>Nina walked out alone. She feared for the night to come, afraid of what might happen. She couldn't ask Anissa or Candace if she could stay the night; Anissa lived in a family of four, and they were poor as it was without another mouth to feed—even for one meal. Candace lived in a tailor shop, and all-in-all Nina just didn't know her too well.<p>

She just couldn't stay at home by herself, though. Suddenly, a raindrop plunked on her forehead._ That's it!_ The rain started falling harder as she ran to the fishery.

Opening the door hard, she shouted, "Toby!" He turned around, a fork hanging out of my mouth.

"Nina? You're soaked!"

She explained her situation.

"So, right after we spoke, you discovered that your brother was mauled by Renee? Wow. I never would've guessed. I've fished with her before…" Nina mentally rolled her eyes. "…she never seemed like the type to do such a thing."

"That's what I thought too."

"So what do you need?"

"Well, it's raining."

"You want to go fishing at _this_ time?" He nodded at the clock. 17:50.

"Well, not exactly. You see, I remembered that you wanted to see me when it was raining…" She pointed to the window. "Honestly," she began. She noticed Ozzie and Paolo watching her carefully, waiting for the rest of her sentence. "Um, can we talk in private?"

"Sure, come on."

They moved to another room she presumed to be his bedroom. Her face flushed; she hadn't been in a boy's bedroom since Owen.

She took a breath, and sat down on the bed next to Toby. "Well…" she exhaled. "This might sound a little weird, since we just met and all…"

"No, it's fine. Keep going."

"I was hoping that maybe…I could stay here?"

"Why?"

"Well, I'm afraid that Renee might show up at my house in the night and…well…hurt me."

"Wait—they didn't lock her away?"

"No, she disappeared. No one knows where she is."

"Oh, and no one would think that you'd be here, right?"

_Well, that's not exactly why I chose his house._ Nina smiled mentally. "Right."

"We don't have an extra room, but feel free to sleep on that couch." He scratched the back of his head. "That's really the only place we have. I hope you don't mind sharing a room."

"Don't you need to ask your uncle?"

"Nah. I pay rent for this room, so I can have whoever I want over."

She pushed her hair behind her right ear. "Thank you so much."

There was a silence until he asked "Have you eaten? As you could tell, we are having dinner right now."

"Oh, no, that's okay, I don't need you to make more for me."

"It's no big deal. I'll just grill up some Goby for you."

"Goby Toby," she giggled.

"Like I haven't heard that one before!" he poked her, and stood up to head to the kitchen. "You can wait here, if you want."

She laid her head back onto his bed. It unexpectedly smelled like vanilla—she expected it to smell like fish. _It's been a long day._ She scooted up a little more, making herself a bit more comfortable. _I'll just wait here until he gets back, and then I'll move to the couch._ She closed her eyes to think.

* * *

><p>Her eyes fluttered open. The first thing she did was look at the clock. "7:00?" She looked around for Toby and saw that he was sleeping on the couch himself—<em>with his shirt off.<em> She swallowed hard, then looked away quickly. She peeped back, noting his smooth stomach and surprisingly toned arms. She stepped off his bed quietly, and crawled over in front of him. Her breath stopped, as did her thoughts.

Before she knew what she was doing she leaned into inhale his scent. Vanilla, again. She was starting to love it. She smiled, looking at his messy, stark white hair.

He opened his eyes slowly, saw Nina, and said, "Good morning, sleepy head."

Startled, she jumped back. "I should be saying that to you," she laughed.

He stretched his arms out, and sat up. "I came back in last night to see if you wanted rice with your fish and you were passed out on my bed." He smiled, thinking. "I decided to just let you sleep there."

"Thanks for letting me stay here," she blushed. "You're really sweet."

His vanilla scent traversed closer to her as he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

She looked him in the eyes. They were an emerald green; she hadn't been able to tell the day before because he had squinted so tightly.

"I-I'm sorry," he stuttered. "Was that okay?"

"N-no," she whispered. This was all moving so fast.

His eyes saddened—the two jewels on his face hiding under his eyelids—and her heart slammed into her chest. "Oh…"

_I didn't mean to say that. I have to fix this._ "W-what I mean is…"

She leaned back in, pressing her lips against his. Their teeth clinked a little bit, and she knew that it wasn't a good kiss. Pulling away, his eyes widened. That flash of emerald again.

"Oh!" his eyes grinned. He chuckled a little bit. His smile vanished as he pulled her in for another kiss, this one more gentle and sweet.


	6. A Bowl Full of Crazy

Ren woke up and glanced at the digital clock next on the stand next to him. _3:00...Shit. Why am I waking up this early? _Looking forward, he noticed a figure at the foot of his bed. He couldn't make out who it was in the darkness. All he could hear was breathing.

"You betrayed me," it whispered. He squinted his eyes; all he could see was the form of chin-length hair.

It moved forward. "I love you," its voice was so soft that it no hint of anyone he knew. "I know you love me too. The only reason you ran off with that _skank…_" the voice trailed off. "…is because you're confused."

"Renee?" he asked aloud. The shadow ran away, and a light flicked on. Jin stepped in, glasses off and hair down.

"Ren, why are you awake? Are you in pain?"

"No—Renee was just here."

"You must be hallucinating; the door is locked, see?" He tried to twist the knob, but it wouldn't let him. "You had a hard day, yesterday. Go back to sleep; I'll see you in the morning—well, in about 4 hours."

The light vanished as Ren noticed an open window. He stood up, making his way over to shut it and lock it, but he was caught from behind. Frail, thin arms were holding him from behind. He was sure it was Renee now.

She whispered in his ear, her cold breath giving him shivers, "You don't want to do that."

"I think I do."

"You want to be with me forever."

"I don—" He was cut off by a sharp point being pressed against his neck. "Y-you have a knife?"

"No, silly!" she giggled softly. "It's a sickle. It's for you…you can cut fodder for your animals with it."

"That way I can…" he slid down, only getting a scratch on his neck, and grabbed the tool, holding it against her own neck. "…stay away from _you_, you psycho bitch!"

She tried to back up, failing to realize she was against a wall. "Please, Ren, don't hurt me! You love me!"

"I don't. Jin!" he called.

Jin stepped in, turning the light on once again. "Ren, I told you—" he paused, noticing Ren holding Renee against the wall with a sickle. "Renee! Ren, you weren't lying!"

"Told you. What are we supposed to do with her?"

"I don't know. We don't have a police system."

"Why is that?"

"We never needed one until now."

"Well, who would be up at three in the morning?"

They both pondered for a second, Renee cowering behind the sharp blade. "Wizard!" shouted Jin. "Be right back, Ren. Don't let go of her!"

"Promise." Ren stared her down. Every time she tried to make a move, he tightened his chokehold on her.

"Don't hurt me, Renny."

"It's funny, when I saw your name written, that's how I thought your name was pronounced."

She giggled, but stopped when the sickle cut her throat from using her voice box. A single drop of blood trickled down her neck and her eyes pleaded Ren to stop.

"No," he said firmly.

Jin and Wizard busted in. Jin's eyes were worn with black circles, but Wizard looked fully rested.

"What do you expect me to do?" he mumbled.

"I don't really know. We need her to be locked up, but we don't have a prison."

"So, you want me to warp her to some jail?"

"Makes sense to me," Jin replied.

Wizard sighed, "Fine. I don't want her causing me any trouble anyway."

He snapped his fingers and she was gone. Ren fell forward into the wall.

He looked back and forth. "Where'd she go?"

"I think it's better if I'm the only one that knows."

Ren woke up again at 7:00. Jin was writing something down on a pad of paper. When he glanced at Ren, he adjusted his glasses and said "Oh, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Much, much better." He thought about what went down a few hours ago. "Did last night really happen?"

Jin whispered "Yes, but Wizard doesn't want us to talk about it, remember?"

"Oh, right."

Ren stepped out of the clinic to be bombarded with a hug. "Oh, hey Luna" _I guess she hasn't heard about me and Candace. Wait—IS there a me and Candace?_ He hugged her back, a slight notion of annoyance in his voice.

"I heard you were in the clinic so I came to visit. Renee is crazy. You have a cut on your neck. Are you okay?" The words came out in one big jumble, and Ren could barely understand her.

The only words that came to his lips were: "How's Candace?"

"What? Why are you worried about her?" She crossed her arms. "You're not _cheating_ on me with my sister, are you?"

"Luna…You and I have never been together."

"Oh, right. You're right. I forgot, sorry!" She smiled, perking up. "Well, the original reason I wanted to come talk to you—I mean, other than to make sure you're okay, of course…" He rolled his eyes; this is why he liked the quieter sister. She talked a LOT less. _If she talked more, though, I would listen to every syllable. _"…Tomorrow is Spring 25. It's my birthday."

"It is?" Her aqua eyes drooped; it seemed to him that her curled pink pigtails did as well. "I mean—I know that. I have your present picked ou—"

"Great! So, I'll meet you at Ocarina Inn at 13:00?"

"Who's all going?"

Her smile fell. "Oh, I thought it could just be me and you."

_Gotta fix this…_ "Oh, well it's a party! You should have lots of people there! In fact," he trailed off, thinking of a new ploy. "_I'll_ invite a bunch of people for you!"

"You're so sweet!" She gave him another quick hug and ran back off to the Tailor.

_I need to set her up with someone else…That way she won't kill me when I ask Candace out._ He started thinking about all the bachelors in town, and one in particular sparked his mind.

He ran to the mayor's house, and banged on the door. A tall young man with a sophisticated stance and platinum blond hair opened up. "Yes…?"

"Gill! Bro!"

"Oh, hey Ren. What can I do for you today?"

"I need you to go to a party tomorrow."

"Whose and why?" He folded his arms, an action that Luna also took many times. _Perfect!_

"You know that short eighteen-year-old girl with the pink pigtails?"

"Luna? Aren't you dating her?"

"NO."

"Sorry, I've heard around that you were."

"Well, I'm not. Anyway, I'm trying to get her off my tail. Would you be willing to go to her birthday party, flirt with her a bit, and maybe go on a date with her?"

"Hmm, she _is_ pretty cute." He thought for a moment, tapping his chin. "I'll bite," he agreed. "Sounds like a plan."

"Thanks. And when I don't show up, tell her that my animal was sick. Don't let her come see me though."

"No problem."

"Thanks!" Ren felt like Cupid without the arrows. _Now I just need to go find Candace without running into Luna…_


	7. Names

Nina stumbled into the Choral Clinic, a loose smile wiggling across her face. "Doctor, doctor! How is my brother?"

"…Nina?" His face was filled with shock at her sudden light attitude. "…He left this morning. You were supposed to come get him, remember?"

"Oh yeah! Sorry, I forgot!"

"…Well, then." His eyes looked worn and perplexed. "Do you know who has been leaving me gifts on my doorstep?"

"Your secret admirer, silly!"

"…Are you inebriated?"

"Drunk on _L-O-V-E!"_

Jin scratched the back of his head, unable to comprehend the fact that Nina had fallen back in love with him. "I, uh…" His mouth opened and closed as though he was searching for words. "Sorry, Nina. I like someone else."

"You don't like Anissa?" Nina clamped her hands over her mouth. She did NOT mean to reveal Anissa's crush.

Jin gaped. "You mean, it's not you? Anissa likes me?"

"Uh…"

"Yes! I'm so happy! Thank you!" He ran his fingers through his flowing, shimmering black hair and smiled. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I have to go talk to her." He looked around, searching for something. "Do you have a ponytail holder I can borrow?"

"Sure! You can use my pink one. It's _Anissa's_ favorite color!" Nina cooed, teasing him.

His face was overcome with a light pink, the color of the band she gave him. He bound it up, and it lay over his right shoulder. "Th-thanks. I'll see you later."

Nina skipped out of the Clinic, proud of her accomplishment. _The plan worked!_ She at first planned to go tell Anissa, but figured that she'd find out soon enough on her own. She noticed Ren strutting to Flute Tailor, and called out to him. He waved, and then winked as he kept on moving to the Tailor's. _Must be working on Candace again…_ She giggled to herself. Her brother had been trying to date her for as long as she could remember.

Suddenly, she heard strange sounds coming from the house behind the Choral Clinic. _Wizard?_ She hurried up there, hoping he wasn't in any trouble. She burst through the doors to see Renee in a cage in the corner of his little house. She had a firm grip on the metal bars, and her face with red with anger.

"…the hell?" she asked him rhetorically.

"Oh. Hello, Nina," he said nonchalantly. He noticed her reaction to Renee, and easily said "Oh, I'm keeping her captive. We don't have a police force, you know." He tipped his head back down to his book. "How's Toby?"

"Why is she here? When did she get here? Where was she?" She shook her head at Wizard's sudden question. "Wait—How do you know about Toby?"

His eyes didn't stray from his reading. "She tried to kill Ren in the middle of the night, is all." His expression was ever un-changing as he went on. "Is he a good kisser?"

Nina stepped back, a little afraid now. Renee's mouth was moving as though she tried to speak, but no words were coming. "She…tried to kill Ren?" She looked at the bitch, suddenly feeling territorial. "What? How do you know this?"

The corners of his lips upturned in a crooked smile. "I'm a wizard. I can see everything through my crystal ball." He nodded to the table in the middle of the room. Sure enough, a purple sphere sat in the midst of it. Renee was trying to scream now.

"Why can't she make noises?" Her face was pink, but she tried to ignore the fact that he knew about her special time with Toby.

"Technically, she can." His eyes narrowed at something he read in his book. "With her body, but not her mouth." He licked his finger and flipped a page. "I put a spell on her so she can't speak. Nothing good comes from tainted lips.

"…How did you do that?"

"There's a lot of power in names. I could do the same to you, if you want me to prove it." He looked up at her and smiled slyly. "Nina."

She ran with all her might to the fishery. She burst into the door, running into her newfound lover. She spoke in gasps. "Wizard…names…Renee…kill…brother…"

Toby's face twisted with confusion as he took her by hand and led her to his bedroom once more. He sat her down on his couch and told her to breathe. "Calm down, Nina."

She caught her breath, and told him in a quick burst everything that just went down.

"So…Renee, obsessed with Ren—that which has already been established—tried to kill him while he was in the hospital last night?" Nina opened her mouth to confirm, but Toby continued on. "BUT…Jin caught Wizard at like 3:00 and he transported her back to his house?" She started to nod; he interrupted once again. "AND THEN you went there and saw she was caught in a cage but couldn't talk, so it turns out that Wizard can control people by the power of their name?"

She paused for a moment, waiting to see if he had anything else. He stared back at her.

"That's right."

"Sounds crazy…"

Her eyes softened. It was hard to think about this wild stuff when she was with someone so easy-going as Toby. _Even though I just met him yesterday._ But to Nina, it felt like she'd known him for much longer. _I want to kiss him…_ She didn't know if it were the right time. He must have been thinking the same thing because he leaned in and gently pressed his lips against hers.

"I'm sorry you have to go through this." He placed his soft hand on her cheek, and she suddenly remembered that Wizard was probably witnessing all of this.

"Gak!" she jumped back, her heart pounding. Toby's eyes, widened a little bit, drooped.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No, it's just…" Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump! Her heart beat strongly against her chest. "_He's watching us._"

"Who's watching us?"

A thought was prominent in her mind. Nina had not a clue where the name came from, but in her mind and heart she knew it was his true name. "…Gale."


	8. Fugue You!

Ren searched the town cautiously for his blue-haired treasure, but came up empty. He even checked at Sonata Tailor—luckily Luna was out—but Shelly said Candace'd been gone all day. He then ransacked through Flute Fields. Nothing.

So, now he was on his way to Garmon Mines. Bane of my existence… Not only did Julius, Candace's ex-boyfriend/fiancé live there, but so did Luke and Owen, and Calvin sometimes. He had dated both Selena and Kathy; Luke and Owen held a strict miner grudge against him and somehow got Calvin to join in on it. They said that they "don't play with heartbreakers." He sighed, wishing he had just held out for Candace.

He was greeted by a busty girl with green hair and red glasses. Phoebe. She often reminded him of Christmas, with her odd red/green combo. "Hiii, Ren." She smiled, winking at him. He rolled his eyes and moved past her. She had liked him for a long time as well as the other girls, but she wasn't hot enough for him to even go on one date with. Besides, he liked girls that were more, well, feminine. Phoebe wore a brown jumpsuit and a blue turtleneck. Even manly Ren knew that her outfit didn't go together very well.

One by one, he began to knock on doors to check for Candace. As he moved towards the carpenter's shop, the door slammed open and he was hit in the nose, falling to the dirt. Okay, maybe that's what drove Renee crazy, he joked to himself. He sat himself back up, and noticed it was none other than Luke who had done the deed. "I'm sorr—" he began. Noticing who he had knocked, he shut the door and slammed it right back open, knocking Ren farther back. "You stay away from my Selena!" He shouted.

"I don't want Selena," he hissed.

"Oh, so now you're a player? What a jerk!"

"You can have her, dude!" Ren sighed, standing himself up and patting his pants to rid the dirt away. "Have you seen Candace?"

"Uh, maybe." A mischievous grin spread across his face. "Why, do you wanna play her too?"

"No!" I actually like her. "Where is she?"

"Somewhere sparkly!" He winked, and started towards the mine cart.

"What the hell does that mean?" But Luke just kept walking, and left Ren behind. Fine. I'll find her myself.

He walked on, thinking hard. Somewhere sparkly… Where could that be?

And suddenly, he had an epiphany. THE ACCESSORY SHOP.

He dashed to the building with jewels on display and burst through the door. He wasn't greeted by Mira like usual—he wasn't greeted at all. The only thing he saw was Candace in Julius's arms

"Candace?"

*Line*

Ren gaped at Julius, who was now sitting cross-legged on the couch, one arm around Candace. "I knew we could handle this like humans, rather than savages." He smiled at Ren, and kissed Candace on the cheek. She blushed, and looked somewhat uncomfortable.

Ren dug his toes into the sole of his shoes. "I…don't understand."

"Well, you see, Candace ran into me this morning, and we had a small chat. It was then that we decided to get back together."

"I'm sorry, Ren…" she suddenly whispered.

"No matter," Julius began, cutting her off. "She'll be much happier now that I, fabulous Julius, have her."

Ren glared at the couple, and stormed off. _I should have known that it was all a lie! All a lie!_ "I'll show you," he growled. He ran to the mine cart, hopped in, and sped back to Harmonica Town. He ran to the Mayor's house, ready to spill everything that just happened to his only guy friend Gill.

By this time, he had forgotten that he set Gill up with Luna, so he was shocked to find Luna and Gill kissing on the couch. They looked up, shocked that he just waltzed on in, but he turned quickly and left.

Ren did something he hadn't done in a long, long time. He burst out in gasps, and tears streamed down his cheeks as he ran to Alto Ranch. He hurried into the barn, and collapsed to the floor as he explicated his story to the cows inside. They appeared to understand him perfectly, because they all moved around him and sat down. Nessie, his first cow, licked his cheek. "Aw, you girls will always be my favorite."

His goat, Felicity, baaed and nuzzled him. "I love you, too." That's when he decided he didn't need girls. "They're nothing but trouble. They cause nothing but pain!"

He thought back on all the girls he knew, and put rhyme with reason on why he shouldn't associate with them.

_Kathy left me for Owen. Bitch. Phoebe is…creepy. Ugh. Christmas in Summer. Freak. Luna is obsessive…never shuts up. Renee…I don't even want to think about that. Candace…_ He frowned and wiggled his nose. _No._

"Will you quit moping and get off your ass?" an unfamiliar voice called from behind him. He turned to see a young looking girl with white hair, orange eyes, and a black witch outfit perched upon a broomstick. That was floating.

"Uh…"

"Don't 'uh' me! I've got a task for you!"

"But I don't even know—"

"So, like I was saying, I need you to go out into the forest and find me a Fugue Mushroom. If you do this for me, I'll reward you!" She flew off.

_Well, I suppose I have nothing better to do. And she hasn't led me to despair yet, so I might as well._

He trudged through the woods, looking for a particular purple fungus. He'd only heard about the Fugue Mushroom, never seen it. He knew that they were violet with yellow spots. _Ugh. I've been out here for an hour. _Just as he was on the brink of giving up, he tripped over a stump and his eyes were faced with just the thing he was looking for.

"Aha!" He plucked it from the ground and stood up. "Now…Where am I?"


End file.
